The Great Escape Convention announces conference details

The Great Escape, the festival for networking, has today announced the key themes that will be explored at this year’s TGE:CONVENTION, plus the first ten speakers who will take part.

With three full-day conferences each focused on a specific theme, the return of the high profile TGE:IN-CONVESATION programme and a day of sessions for new talent, the TGE:CONVENTION will once again put the spotlight on the future of the music industry while setting the agenda for the music business year ahead.

For the first time this year, the TGE:CONVENTION will begin the day before The Great Escape festival kicks off. This innovation comes as TGE partners with the Unsigned Music Awards, which will also take place in Brighton on Weds 16 May.

Across the four days of the TGE:CONVENTION, music industry practitioners can connect to, learn from and debate with leading players from across the wider music business – expanding their own networks as they go. The Great Escape is truly the music industry’s festival for networking.

There are six core strands to the TGE:CONVENTION.

TGE:IN-CONVERSATION: a series of high profile one-on-one interviews with legendary artists and music industry leaders, with Kobalt Music CEO Willard Ahdritz already confirmed to take part.

The Education Conference (Weds 16 May): creating a new manifesto for music education in the UK and beyond. Initial speakers from BIMM, Featured Artists Coalition and Urban Development.

The AI Conference (Thursday 17th May): showcasing and assessing the new technologies set to impact on the music industry in the next decade. Initial speakers from Deviate, Reed Smith and Mycelia.

The China Conference (Friday 18th May): providing a comprehensive guide to one of the most important emerging markets. Initial speakers from IFPI, Outdustry and NetEase Cloud Music.

TGE:DIY (Saturday 19th May): ground-breaking panels, practical tips and invaluable advice for future music talent and those entering the music industry.

TGE:COURTROOM-SESSIONS: a series of panels covering a multitude of topics and debates hosted by The Great Escape’s industry partners.

“The programme we present for industry delegates at The Great Escape always breaks new ground, repeatedly putting the spotlight on the challenges and opportunities that will then dominate the conversation in the music industry in the year ahead,” said MAMA CEO, Rory Bett. “This year we’ll consider the future of music education; demo and discuss the new technologies that will drive the next phase of the industry’s development; and provide an insider’s guide to China, the emerging market which is becoming increasingly key for all of us in the music business”.

“I’m also excited about the return of our TGE:IN-CONVERSATIONS programme, where we will be inviting some of the key players in the music industry to share both their journey so far and their thoughts for the future”

CONFERENCE SPEAKERS ALREADY CONFIRMED INCLUDE:

TGE:IN-CONVERSATION

The first in this series of high profile TGE interviews is with Willard Ahdritz, the founder and CEO of Kobalt Music. He will discuss how his business has revolutionised the management and monetisation of music rights and how Kobalt is now expanding its ground-breaking new approach into recordings. He will also consider what challenges remain for artists and songwriters looking to maximise the value of their music rights.